Cytologic endocrine evaluation device



Sept. 10, 1968 R. A. SCHEIDT CYTOLOGIC ENDOCRINE EVALUATION DEVICE Filed Nov. 24, 1965 51321210 2, A My United States Patent 3,400,708 CYTOLOGIC ENDOCRINE EVALUATION DEVICE Robert A. Scheidt, 10110 Bunny Court, Hales Corners, Wis. 53130 Filed Nov. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 509,526 6 Claims. (Cl. 128-2) This invention relates to surgical instruments and refers more particularly to an instrument especially adapted and designed for collecting surface tissue cells from vaginal walls for cytological endocrine evaluation.

Although the invention provides a very useful tool for the medical profession, its primary purpose and object is to provide means whereby a woman in need of cytological endocrine evaluation may herself collect the needed cell specimens. Heretofore, where such cell specimens or samples were required, it was necessary for the patient to make many trips to the doctors ofiice, since such specimens must be collected daily, or at least at frequent intervals, for a period of thirty days or more. With this invention, the physicians time and the expense involved in taking the tissue cells is spared, and the expense of such multiple trips to the doctors office is eliminated, without detracting from the reliability of the collected specimens.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one Complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention, constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the instrument of this invention, illustrating the same with its parts Separated, but in proper order of assembly;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional vie-w through the assembled instrument; and

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view through FIGURE 2 on the plane of the line 3-3.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawing, the numeral 5 designates the main body portion of the instrument which, as shown, consists of an elongated cylindrical tube 6, one end of which is closed by a rounded, preferably hemispherical wall 7, the opposite end being open and unrestricted. Near its closed end, which may be conveniently considered the front end of the tube, there are two diametrically opposite elongated openings or slots 8 in the side wall of the tube. The side edges of these openings are preferably straight and parallel with the axis of the tube, and the ends of the openings are rounded, as shown.

The open rear end portion of the tube is snugly fitted into the hub 9 of a handle 10 which, as shown, is perpendicular to the plane which bisects the diametrically opposite openings 8. Although the hub portion of the handle has a snug fit on the tube and ordinarily will resist relative movement therebetween, the parts are separable to permit thorough cleaning and sterilization.

Freely reciprocable within the tube 6 is a plunger 11 which, like the tube, may be formed of suitable plastic material. The front end 12 of the plunger is rounded, as

shown, and directly rearwardly therefrom it has a plurality of axially spaced ridges 13. These ridges are formed by the lands between circumferential grooves 14.

The length of the plunger is such that its rear end 3,400,708 Patented Sept. 10, 1968 Fee , ulation.

As shown in FIGURE 2, when the plunger is fully inserted into the tube, the ridges 13; are adjacent to the elongated openings 8 so that, upon reciprocation of the plunger, its ridges traverse the openings from end to end thereof.

Attention is directed to the fact that the lands which form the ridges 13 are smaller in diameter than the bore of the tube, so that a fair degree of clearance exists between the ridges and the adjacent tube walls. Preferably, that portion of the plunger which is just rearwardly or outwardly of the openings 8 when the plunger is in its innermost position, is convexly reduced in diameter, as at 16.

In using the instrument, a measured quantity of a specimen suspending solution is poured into the closed end portion of the tube. This solution may be a saline or aqueous alcohol thymol preparation. Then, while the patient is in a recumbent posture, she inserts the tube into her vagina, taking care that the tube will be held in an upright position during insertion, so as not to lose the specimen receiving solution. By means of the handle 10, the tube is positioned with its elongated openings or slots 8 contiguous to the laterally opposite walls of the vagina.

When the tube is thus inserted, the portions of the vaginal walls contiguous to the openings protrude or bulge into the interior of the tube so that upon insertion of the plunger and reciprocation thereof, its ridges 13 scrape some of the surface tissue cells from the inwardly protruding vaginal wall portions. By the motion of the plunger in the tube, these cells are deposited in the specimen suspending solution, so that when the plunger is removed and the tube withdrawn, the collected cells will be in suspension in the solution.

The resulting suspensoid is then poured into an appropriate collecting vial, which is indentified as to the date upon which the contents were obtained.

The entire operation is repeated daily for a period of thirty days or so, or at less frequent intervals as determined by the physician. The successive collections of cells are then transmitted to the laboratory for cytological endocrine evaluation.

As will no doubt be readily understandable, the clearance between the grooved portion of the plunger and the bore of the tube must be suffioient to prevent pinching the vaginal walls or any part thereof between the ridges and the ends of the openings.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, that this invention provides an instrument by which a woman requiring cytological endocrine evaluation for any purpose that might be indicated, can herself reliably collect the required tissue cell specimens or samples, and thereby save her physioians time and avoid the cost of repeated visits to his office.

What is claimed as my invention is:

1. An instrument for collecting surface tissue cells from vaginal walls for cytological endocrine evaluation, comprising:

(A) a tube having a closed front end portion adapted to hold a quantity of a specimen suspending solution, and of a size and shape to be readily inserted into the vagina,

said tube having at least one opening through its side wall at a distance from its closed front end, through which the adjacent portion of the vaginal wall protrudes upon insertion of the tube into the vagina; (B) plunger means in the tube,

said plunger means being freely slideable back and forth in the tube and having a part thereon projecting from the tube and by which the plunger means may be reciprocated; and (C) ridge means on the plunger means to move past the opening in the side wall of the tube and into the specimen suspending solution contained in the tube, whereby tissue cells may be scraped off the inwardly protruding vaginal wall portion and deposited in said solution. 2. The instrument of claim 1, further characterized by handle means on the tube by which the position of the tube in the vagina may be controlled to dispose the opening in the side wall of the tube in juxtaposition to the por- 20 tion of the vaginal wall from which specimen tissue cells are to be collected.

3. The instrument of claim 1, wherein the tube is cylindrical and there are two diametrically opposite openings in its side wall.

4. The instrument of claim'3, wherein the diametrically opposite openings are elongated and extend lengthwise of the tube.

5. The instrument of claim 3, wherein the plunger means is cylindrical, and the ridge means constitutes the lands between a plurality of circumferential axially spaced grooves in the forward end portion of the plunger means.

6. The instrument of claim 5', wherein the diameter of the said lands which form the ridge means is sufiiciently smaller than the bore of the tube to preclude pinching of the inwardly protruding vaginal wall portions between the ridge means and the edges of the openings, but large enough to scrape across said vaginal wall portions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,406,600 8/ 1946 Forestiere 128-2 FOREIGN PATENTS 332,766 2/1921 Germany.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

S. BRODER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN INSTRUMENT FOR COLLECTING SURFACE TISSUE CELLS FROM VAGINAL WALLS FOR CYTOLOGICAL ENDOCRINE EVALUATION, COMPRISING: (A) A TUBE HAVING A CLOSED FRONT END PORTION ADAPTED TO HOLD A QUANTITY OF A SPECIMEN SUSPENDING SOLUTION, AND OF A SIZE AND SHAPE TO BE READILY INSERTED INTO THE VAGINA, SAID TUBE HAVING AT LEAST ONE OPENING THROUGH ITS SIDE WALL AT A DISTANCE FROM ITS CLOSED FRONT END, THROUGH WHICH THE ADJACENT PORTION OF THE VAGINAL WALL PROTRUDES UPON INSERTION OF THE TUBE INTO THE VAGINA; (B) PLUNGER MEANS IN THE TUBE, SAID PLUNGER MEANS BEING FREELY SLIDEABLE BACK AND FORTH IN THE TUBE AND HAVING A PART THEREON PROJECTING FROM THE TUBE AND BY WHICH THE PLUNGER MEANS MAY BE RECIPROCATED; AND (C) RIDGE MEANS ON THE PLUNGER MEANS TO MOVE PAST THE OPENING IN THE SIDE WALL OF THE TUBE AND INTO THE SPECIMEN SUSPENDING SOLUTION CONTAINED IN THE TUBE, WHEREBY TISSUE CELLS MAY BE SCRAPED OFF THE INWARDLY PROTRUDING VAGINAL WALL PORTION AND DEPOSITED IN SAID SOLUTION. 